By Ryan-Alexander McLeod, contributor
In Surrey, SuperChefs teamed up with Olympic gold-medalist Patrick Chan to spread a message of healthy eating and teaching kids to have a healthy relationship with what they put in their mouths.
On Friday (Aug. 17), celebrated their 10th Anniversary at Surrey City Hall with cooking demonstrations 91Ƶ some healthy, stick-to-your-gums home cooking with the goal of helping kids become food literate and able to make healthier choices.
SuperChefs teaches children about balanced nutrition and food preparation, and works to give kids the tools to lead a healthy life with the hopes of lowering the statistics of childhood obesity through FACES.
91ƵFACES91Ƶ are the five pillars of the SuperChefs program: Food literacy, Aware of their food systems, Competent in cooking skills, Engaged in physical activity and Savour balanced food choices.
91ƵWe91Ƶre so happy to see all these bright, shining faces here today,91Ƶ said Chang, a Surrey-based dentist.
91ƵThis is a great environment we91Ƶre building here to promote a healthier generation of kids in Surrey,91Ƶ he said.
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Known simply as 91ƵDr. Greg,91Ƶ the man in the super-hero cape made his way around the anniversary celebration with a grin from ear to ear as he spread the message of healthy eating.
91ƵSuperChefs is a not only a passion of my own, but also of the advisors, councillors and donors who support this program, and we all just want to give these kids a healthy environment to learn and feel empowered to make smart, conscious decisions,91Ƶ Chang said.
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It goes without saying that for Olympic-level athletes, eating healthy is paramount to having a successful body of work and, literally, a successful body overall.
No one knows this better than Canadian Patrick Chan, a former competitive figure skater.
91ƵI met with Greg and we talked about joining up and it came together pretty quick,91Ƶ said Chan.
91ƵWe talk about nutrition a lot as athletes, but to have a program that makes that knowledge accessible for kids is huge. It adds another lay of education for them and it91Ƶs just awesome,91Ƶ he said.
Cooking can be intimidating and some kids won91Ƶt know where to start, but Chan said much like overcoming adversity in sports can be difficult, so too in the kitchen.
91ƵIt91Ƶs all about not having fear about trying new things. If you haven91Ƶt cooked before, well, that91Ƶs OK,91Ƶ he said. 91ƵJust try it, experiment and see if it works out.91Ƶ
91ƵJust like in sports, there91Ƶs a lot of similar lessons, but to learn those lessons in the kitchen, it91Ƶs huge for building towards making healthy eating fun.91Ƶ
At the event, looking around the room at the huge number of kids learning and having fun with each other, Chan said he understands all too well the importance of having strong bonds and friendships, something he said the SuperChefs program promotes.
91ƵThis program is great for these kids to have a chance to make friends and build a supportive group of people, because we all need that in our lives.91Ƶ
Chan and Chang both want to see a future with healthier bodies, minds and fantastic food being cooked all around.
91ƵI had a little idea,91Ƶ said Chang, 91Ƶbut this team, this community, have made this a success. Seeing how these kids learn and hearing about them embracing it and promoting it at home with their families, it91Ƶs really a way of life and I couldn91Ƶt be more proud.91Ƶ